Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
President Elect Obama Unveils National Security Team
Aired December 01, 2008 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Live this hour, meet members of Barack Obama's national security team. We are awaiting an announcement from the president-elect.
Plus, five day winning streak in jeopardy. The Dow starts lower, that's for sure. What may be making investors jittery. Tell you all about it. Monday, December 1st.
Good morning everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
You may not know their names well today, but for the next four years they could be assigned the all-important task of keeping you safe. This hour President-elect Barack Obama introduces nominees for his national security team. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is in Chicago now with a look ahead at this announcement. Candy, what can we expect today? Some very very top priority sort of appointments and announcements.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I mean, let's face it, these are, and we've seen over the weekend, really dangerous times. This is a very important part of Barack Obama's administration. Clearly the Treasury Secretary being rolled out along with other tough economic advisers. Very important here at home. But today you are going to see the people who will advise Barack Obama on matters of national security. And I tell you, if three weeks ago you had given me this list, I would have said impossible. However -
COLLINS: Really?
CROWLEY: Yes, absolutely. I mean these are, this is really an interesting group of people. Let us start out with the one that seemed the most improbable of all when it started out and began to make more sense as we were going along. Senator Hillary Clinton who will become Secretary of State for Barack Obama. He will nominate her here today. Obviously a bitter rival during the primary season. The two have come to terms. Bill Clinton, the former president, has agreed to curtail a lot of his overseas activities so she can have this job.
Moving on, you'll see Robert Gates. He, of course, is the current Secretary of Defense. Barack Obama will keep him there for continuity. A lot of thought that in the first month Barack Obama is going to have to concentrate on the economy. He has brought in really what amounts to a power house team to begin to look at relations overseas and of course, all of the trouble spots. Robert Gates, secretary of defense, certainly will be key to that. And then we have retired commandant James Jones. He will be the top national security adviser inside the White House. He will have the closest ear to Barack Obama he dates back to the Bush administration. So this is again a really interesting pick. All three of those nominations, Heidi, I think you can say have been far more muscular, far more hawkish than Barack Obama ever was certainly during the primary and the general election.
Janet Napolitano, she is currently the governor of Arizona. She will be named Homeland Security director. She, obviously, in Arizona is considered an expert in border issues. So she's coming on board the team. Perhaps the newest face that we're going to see. Susan Rice, not a familiar name to a lot of people outside the beltway but she was in the Clinton administration, hopped over to the Barack Obama campaign, much to the consternation of some in the Clinton camp.
Nonetheless, she will become the U.S. representative at the United Nations. And finally Eric Holder a little outside but when you begin to think about the problems that Barack Obama is going to have when he closes Guantanamo and what to do with all of the prisoners and suspected terrorists that are there, Eric Holder also a holdover from the Clinton administration will become attorney general. Presumably he will be in the forefront of the decision about what to do with a lot of the prisoners. So a really interesting lineup. I would say is again a far more muscular proof in foreign policy. Certainly Hillary Clinton more hawkish than Barack Obama ever was. So I find this a fascinating group. And perhaps a signal to the world if they thought certainly Barack Obama emphasized during this campaign diplomacy but this is also a group that sends another message that the U.S. does intend to protect its interest when it has to, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, I have so many questions for you, Candy. But just quickly I wonder if you look forward to the confirmation process. I mean, you have been covering Washington for so long. Who do you think is likely to have the most grueling or the most difficulty going through confirmation?
CROWLEY: Well, first let me just say that this transition team has been pretty careful in shopping these names around. So they have a pretty good feeling that they're all going to be confirmed. But I think you had to put at the top of this Attorney General Eric Holder. He was involved in a controversial pardon at the end of the Clinton administration. Certainly he will be asked about that and some other business dealings that he has had. But again the Obama team has been pretty careful to talk to some leaders on Capitol Hill to float these names. And I suspect that they have very good reason to believe that all of them, including Eric Holder, will be, in fact, confirmed.
COLLINS: All right. Candy Crowley there for us where the announcement will be made. Coming up very shortly. That's 10:40 Eastern time. Of course, we'll bring it to you live. Candy, thank you so very much. Once again, we will bring that to you live at 10:40. About 30 minutes or so from now.
Well, probably time to take another look at the big board as we usually try to do at the top of the hour here. But wow, we are down 356 points now in the first 35 minutes of trading. We continue to watch those numbers. Yikes. We were hoping for a rally again this week like we had last week. But that's clearly not the case so far today. In fact, as black Friday fades, cyber Monday looms. What can we expect this holiday shopping season? CNN's Christine Romans is part of the CNN money team. She has more insight now from our New York bureau. So if we talk cyber Monday, Christine, a lot of people extra busy at their desks apparently this morning. Hopefully the boss won't be walking by.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well Cyber Monday is a phrase actually coined by the retail trade group, by the industry itself to try to talk about what this phenomenon is after the Thanksgiving weekend where people go and log on to their desk and start finishing up their shopping or just starting it I guess for the rest of the holiday season. And so cyber Monday is what today is. A lot of retailers, 8 out of 10 of retailers planning on some sort of promotion online. Things like free shipping, things like 20 percent off, special coupons, special door busters. Even though there's not a door. But at different hours of the day where they have different kinds of deals. So a lot of different deals they're looking at.
85 million Americans are expected be shopping sometime today. A career builder survey found that 29 percent of workers plan to shop online at work over the entire holiday season. 43 percent will spend an hour or more. 23 percent will spend two hours or more. And for the lucky few, 13 percent of family can spend three hours or more over the next few weeks shopping online. I am not one of them. I will tell you that. I just don't have the time. But I bet you don't either.
COLLINS: No, I sure don't. And Christine love to talk to you more but we want to get directly to President Bush and the First Lady for World AIDS Day right outside in Washington. Let's listen in for just a moment.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Once again this year to observe World AIDS Day. There is a red ribbon on the north portico of the White House. The ribbon is a symbol of our resolve to confront HIV/AIDS and to affirm the value of every life. One of the most important initiatives of my administration has been the emergency plan for AIDS week. It's the largest international health initiative dedicated to a single disease. When we launched PETFAR, our goal was to support treatment for two million people in five years. Today I'm pleased to announce that we have exceeded the goal early.
The American people through PETFAR supporting life saving treatment to more than two million people. And when PETFAR began, only 50,000 people were living with HIV and all of Africa will be receiving the anti retroviral treatment. Around the world we've also supported care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV, including more than FOUR million orphans and vulnerable children. More than 237,000 babies have been born HIV-free thanks to the support of the American people. For programs to prevent mothers from passing the virus on to their children. PETFAR is bringing hope and healing to people around the world. Over trips to Africa, Laura and I have witnessed firsthand the gratitude of the African people. We look forward to discussing our efforts to combat global HIV/AIDS for the (inaudible) on global health this morning. In the meantime, we thank our fellow citizens for being so compassionate and so caring and so decent. God bless.
COLLINS: There you have President Bush and the First Lady, of course, on World AIDS Day. This is the 20th World AIDS day. And according to the White House that PETFAR initiative that he launched back in 2003, 18.8 billion over the first five years. And then the second phase was just signed this year. It's actually authorized another $48 billion over the next five years. There you have it. World AIDS day. We'll have much more on that today right here on CNN.
November goes out like a lion in Florida. Just take a look at the trampoline that went flying and landed in a tree. 9-11 dispatches in Palm Bay say they got several calls from people reporting a tornado. Tress were knocked down and more than a dozen homes damaged. Reynolds Wolf is standing by to talk a little bit more about that. So it was a tornado, huh?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, nasty stuff there in Florida. You know I mean it does happen occasionally. They do get those tornadoes in there. I tell you the storm system that we had that helped spawn some of these tornadoes as far to the north has really manifested itself into something entirely different, that being some snow. Still some strong winds with that snowfall up towards Michigan and rolling along parts of I-75 from Green Bay south ward to Sheboygan, Milwaukee and even to Chicago, the snow continues to fall.
Michigan, goodness, gracious you can see some six to eight inches of snowfall in the highest spots. It coupled with the strong wind you can really see visibility limited upon arts of say I-75. Getting a little bit of clearing north of Grand Rapids. If you're tuning in from Grand Rapids you may be able to step outside in the next couple of minutes and see blue skies. But then further to the north another band of snow is going to move through. It's going to be kinds of pulsing effect. That happens with these snow storms occasionally. Traverse City getting the heavy snow. Chicago is intermittent at times, seeing a little bit of dry air coming in towards Buffalo Grove.
And further to the south we go, St. Louis is beginning to taper off for you. And then back towards Nashville we're seeing a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. Here's a live image for you in there. AT the Music City, they're not singing much. They're just going, burr. It's going to be a cold time there. You see the flags, the wind is really breezy there. The (four E's) is going everywhere. You could see some delays before the day is out too.
Back to the west, the story is a little bit different. Not snow, but fog still causing some delays at LAX and also back over to San Francisco too. In fact, right now, delays also popping up in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York, La Guardia with a 50-minute delay. That's the latest, Heidi. Let's send it back to you.
COLLINS: Yuck. All right. Reynolds, thanks so much.
WOLF: Any time.
COLLINS: Adjusting but snowing nonetheless in Arkansas. Yes. Arkansas for the first time this season. I-reporter Barbara Rademacher shot this video from her house in Bentonville. Feel free to send us your video or pictures as well. Just click on I- report.com.
On the trail of terrorists. Who could have been behind the Mumbai attacks. We'll check in with our national security correspondent in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Devastation throughout Mumbai, India, and a resolve to find those behind last week's terror attack. Pakistan's Prime Minister pledged his government's full cooperation, saying he knows accusations Pakistan had a role in it were made out of anger. Police say 179 people were killed by the gunmen, including six Americans. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected in India later in the week.
No evidence only suspicions there may have been more attackers. Our international security correspondent Paula Newton is back in London now. Paula, what are you hearing?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now the investigation continues to be quite confused, Heidi. And you would think by this time we would have a much clearer picture.
COLLINS: Yes.
NEWTON: The problem is they do not have an accurate portrayal of exactly who even the militants are. While they continually say that they were Pakistani, they have yet to offer any kind of proof to the Pakistani government as to who they were. At the same time, they have yet to actually identify who might have done some of the reconnaissance in those hotels to figure out how to execute these kind of an attack. It still remains a confusing situation. And I'll show Heidi at this point in time, everyone in India is expecting more and it just haven't been forthcoming from officials there.
COLLINS: You know, Paula, I was talking a little bit earlier with Matthew Chance, who is in Mumbai right now. and he was making mention of the same idea that yes, we're talking nine or ten gunmen. But the suspicion is out there and then mentions the boat that had apparently some evidence in it. Did it not?
NEWTON: It did have some evidence and then certainly they seem to have retrieved a boat, perhaps two boats that contain them. But none of this seems to be pulling together any kind of a picture. By this time Heidi in other investigations, we have had clear-cut press conferences where people are told what they know, how they know it. What other leads they're looking into. Heidi, they're not doing this to satisfy a curiosity to the media. They do this in order to protect against other attacks. It's a dangerous situation that we have now where the Indians are not fully informing people of exactly what they know.
And I can tell you from my sources here that as far as British officials helping out in the investigation that there's been a lot of confusion. And also British officials here in Britain are now interviewing the eyewitnesses here to see if they can shed any more light on these attackers and then forwarding that information back to the Indian officials. Unfortunately it looks like this is going to take weeks to get a clear picture of what happened, if ever.
COLLINS: Boy, that certainly is how it sounds. All right. Our international security correspondent, Paula Newton from London this morning. Paula, thank you.
Hundreds of people found themselves trapped when the attacks began. Some managed to escape. Others could only wait it out. CNN's Ed Lavandera with an exclusive account now from one American couple.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In an instant, Carol and Benjamin Mackoff knew they were trapped in a violent siege.
BEN MACKOFF, TAJ HOTEL SURVIVOR: As soon as the first two shots were fired.
CAROL MACKOFF, TAJ HOTEL SURVIVOR: Ben said that's not fire cracker. That's gunfire. And immediately, we didn't know where it was coming, but we locked the door to our room.
LAVANDERA: Benjamin looked through the door's peephole and saw three men carrying guns dressed in the same colored jackets.
BEN MACKOFF: They looked like young men, probably in the late teens, early 20s. Slim, athletic looking. Talking to each other, one was talking on a cell phone after they passed by. You know the face of evil isn't necessarily evil looking.
LAVANDERA: They would spend nearly 48 hours locked inside their room on the third floor of the Taj Hotel, rationing cookies from the mini bar, drinking water from the bathroom faucet. Gunfire and explosions erupting just outside the door. Smoke filling the hallways. And in the darkness they heard a desperate cry for help.
CAROL MACKOFF: We hear an American male voice saying help me, please help me. Please help me.
BEN MACKOFF: Gunshots and then quiet.
LAVANDERA: Nearby the Mackoffs say gunmen were opening doors and throwing grenades in the room. Then twice the attackers rang the doorbell to their room and simply walked away.
CAROL MACKOFF: For whatever reason they did ring our doorbell twice. Two different occasions but they didn't shoot the door down. And I don't know why. I don't know why. I'm just grateful they didn't.
BEN MACKOFF: That's the chair that thrown out to break the window.
LAVANDERA: As they waited, Benjamin snapped these photographs from their window. It shows bed sheets tied together. Another captive preparing an escape from the hotel. There was even a mattress outside their window. The Mackoffs think someone was going to use it as a landing pad. Through the entire ordeal, the Mackoff say they never felt fearful. In fact, Benjamin wrote a 400-page novel.
BENJAMIN MACKOFF: There wasn't much else to do so I started a book and finished it.
LAVANDERA: Carol Mackoff could not sleep, attached to her cell phone, text messaging family, officials from the U.S. consulate and Indian Army, even CNN to get the latest information. Then Thursday morning they were told an Indian commando unit was coming to their rescue. More gunfire and explosions. Then a knock on their door, and the commandos quietly escorted them out of the hotel.
CAROL MACKOFF: Everything with hand motion. And marched us to a service stairway on which there was a lot of broken glass and there was a lot of blood. And as my husband recalled to you, one puddle of blood and one shoe off to the side, which is a picture we'll never forget.
LAVANDERA: The Mackoffs say it was only when they saw the destruction inside the Taj Hotel that they realized how lucky they were to escape alive.
CAROL MACKOFF: As we were evacuated we realized that we had come this close to real danger or loss of life because the rooms across the hall from us on that ocean side separated by the atrium. They had been blasted open.
LAVANDERA: Just days after escaping, Carol and Benjamin Mackoff say this ordeal won't keep them from traveling the world. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Wow, what a story. They live with a debilitating disease and they have to fight the discrimination of others, too. Still stigmatized by HIV. The story on this world AIDS day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Today marks the 20th anniversary of world AIDS day. So years after the facts of AIDS are known, why does the stigma remain? Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here now with that story. It's a good question.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a good question. Because you and I certainly remember the days of Ryan White and the stigma of HIV and AIDS was so huge. And we talked to experts has it gotten better and they said yes it has but it still has not improved as much as it should.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): 24-year-old Antron Reshaud knows a thing or two about stigma.
ANTRON RESHAUD, HIV POSITIVE: I found out that I was HIV positive, it was around 2004. When my mother found out it was one of the reasons why she decided to put me out.
COHEN: Reshaud was diagnosed at age 20. And the discrimination began almost immediately.
RESHAUD: It just hurts me so much when I hear the things, you know, the stories about how people are constantly kicked out of their homes or how they have to go to work and you know they are made fun or they're fired from their jobs because they happen to be positive.
COHEN: It's 2008. More than 25 years into the HIV, AIDS epidemic and still people who were infected are often unable to avoid the stigma that surrounds this disease.
FRANK OLDHAM, NAT'L ASSN. FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS: It's a matter of pure ignorance. It's a matter of prejudice.
COHEN: Frank Oldham is president and CEO of the National Association of People with AIDS. He says that prejudice is deeply rooted in the belief that AIDS is still a gay disease and the consequences can be fatal.
OLDHAM: It acts as a barrier to people getting tested, getting their HIV test, knowing their HIV status, and getting into care and treatment. Because they're afraid to be identified as someone living with HIV/AIDS.
COHEN: And for those who don't have the disease -
DR. KEVIN FESTON, CDC: There's the fear of contagion. The simple fear of becoming infected by HIV and not really understanding or knowing ways in which the disease is transmitted.
COHEN: Last year a three-year-old HIV positive boy was banned from using a public swimming pool and shower in Alabama. A few weeks ago students at a high school in St. Louis were ostracized when someone connected with their school tested positive for the disease. A survey by the MAC AIDS Fund found more than 30 percent of Americans are uncomfortable working with someone with HIV or AIDS. And that includes health care professionals.
OLDHAM: If the doctor doesn't claims he doesn't know how to treat them. They really don't want to treat them.
COHEN: One in five Americans with HIV doesn't even know he or she has the disease. When HIV is diagnosed late the results can be deadly. FESTON: More than 40 percent of people who are diagnosed with HIV in the United States progress to full-blown AIDS within a year of their diagnosis.
COHEN: Reshaud hopes to reduce that number by convincing others to get tested and seek the proper treatment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Now because that stigma has not gone away even after all these years the Center for Disease Control does have a program to help ease that stigma. Maybe next year on World AIDS Day we won't be talking about the same story.
COLLINS: Well, I hope not. Is that program or are there other programs out there that are working on even more awareness? I don't know, in schools or something.
COHEN: Yes, absolutely. You know who has been really active on this has been churches. Churches in communities where HIV is more prevalent. The first step, the first thing they're trying to do is just to get people to talk about it. Because, you know, there was this saying that's been out there for a long time, silence equals death. Just talking about HIV is the first step. And sometimes it's hard to get people to do that.
COLLINS: Yes. No question about it. All right. Well, Elizabeth Cohen, we sure do appreciate it. Thank you.
In fact, there are 33.2 million people living with AIDS in the world today. More than two million of them are children. Just last year as many as 2.5 million people became infected with the virus. 95 percent of the affected live in developing nations. Health officials urge people to remember to get tested.
Naming his national security team. We are awaiting an announcement from President-elect Barack Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Just minutes from now President-elect Barack Obama is due to announce his national security team and other high-level posts in his administration. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will be unveiled as his choice for secretary of state. We of course, are going to be carrying the Obama announcement live, scheduled for 10:40. So, just about nine minutes away, or so.
Another top position to be announced, Obama's secretary of defense. Robert Gates is expected to stay on and continue his oversight of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. CNN's Michael Ware is in Baghdad, now this morning, with the view from there. Hi, Michael.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Heidi. Well, if, indeed, President-elect Obama confirms the appointment of secretary of defense, Robert Gates, this will be a reassuring and a savvy move by the incoming administration. Because this will be a fete (ph) of ongoing stewardship as America is waging two wars.
Now, there's a number of things that can be said about Secretary Gates and this appointment. Firstly, Secretary Gates is politically non-aligned and he's widely viewed as a moderate who's listening to his generals. He's also very important by his mere presence in the rehabilitation of the relationship between those in uniform and the civilians who command them. A relationship that was badly damaged under this administration.
Also, as a former director of Central Intelligence, Secretary Gates is a bridge between the intelligence community and the Pentagon. And finally, as someone who is overseen the implementation of the so- called surge here on the ground in Iraq, Secretary Gates may be a tempering influence on the Obama administration's urgency to stop pulling out troops regardless of what's happening here on the ground -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. CNN's Michael Ware, coming to us from Baghdad, this morning. We're going to be watching all of these appointments very closely. Thank you, Michael.
Sarah Palin back on the campaign trail today. The Alaska governor and former vice presidential candidate stumping for fellow Republican Saxby Chambliss in Georgia, this morning. He is fighting to keep his Senate seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Georgia on our mind. Americans are looking to you. To see you help us find our way starting tomorrow here in Georgia. Let's do it by reelecting Saxby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Saxby Chambliss forced into if runoff by Democrat Jim Martin. Martin hoping for a repeat of the same strong African- American turnout in Georgia, as on general election day. The Georgia Senate seat, one of two remaining now to be decided. The other is in Minnesota. If Democrats win both, they take a super majority in the Senate. And that means they could defeat any Republican attempts at filibusters if they all stuck together.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
COLLINS: The big three bailout. The heads of Ford, Chrysler, and GM are returning to Capitol Hill. Their recovery plans are due tomorrow. Last month, skeptical lawmakers said they could not approve billions of dollars in taxpayer loans until the automakers showed long range plans.
The housing crisis. One person's heartbreak becomes another person's opportunity. Foreclosed homes go to the highest bidder. And a nightmare is reborn as someone else's version of the American Dream.
Kara Finnstrom has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seventy-five thousand dollars, $80,000 going once, twice, third and final call.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The real estate purge in southern California. At foreclosure auctions like this one, everyone wonders whether prices are at or near bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For $120, previously valued at $340,000.
WALTER SKRZYNSHI, HOME AUCTION EXECUTIVE: I think in 2008, you probably saw almost a quadrupling of auctions since the year prior. And you should see more in 2009.
CHRIS BLAND, POTENTIAL HOME BUYER: The prices are down now to where someone like me can come in and get a house pretty cheap.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking at maybe turning out one or possibly even two homes tonight.
FINNSTROM: Among those hoping to cash in --
CHRIS DURAN, POTENTIAL HOME BUYER: I do think that we're definitely going to get more home for the dollar.
Reporter: Chris and Anelle Duran. They're expecting baby No. 4 and want to buy house No. 1. But, before coming to the huge dizzying auction --
C. DURAN: How much more would you go on this one?
FINNSTROM: The Durans did their homework.
ANELLE DURAN, POTENTIAL HOME BUYER: I think our biggest fear, too, is to end up like a lot of these people that have lost their homes. We don't want to make the same mistake.
C. DURAN: You can still over buy in this market.
FINNSTROM: The Durans walked through each house they're considering. A great opportunity because not all auctions show houses beforehand.
C. DURAN: The tile's old. But, it goes with the home.
FINNSTROM: They crunch the numbers.
C. DURAN: It's going for -- starting at $119. I'd be willing to pay you know, upwards to the low 2's for this home.
FINNSTROM: Comparing the value of nearby homes and considering the costs of repairs and liens against the homes.
A. DURAN: We need to know how much we're going to pay for the house. And that's it. If it goes over, let it go. Just -- it wasn't ours. FINNSTROM: And they reviewed all conditions of the auction.
C. DURAN: The thing is, I hear a lot of people don't go in there prequalified.
FINNSTROM: Finally the Durans prepare themselves not to buy. And on this day the right house did not come up for the right price.
(on camera): The Durans are still hoping to buy their house at auction. And most analysts say they have time. A barrage of federal health and state legislation is helping curb some foreclosures. But experts say this crisis is far reaching, and far from over.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Seasons greetings in white. We'll show you some places where they got snow and one place they wish they had.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quickly, the announcement we've been waiting for today was originally supposed to happen just a couple of minutes ago. We are looking there now live for President-elect Barack Obama.
I believe some of the nominees for these positions that he will be naming today are now walking out and will likely be stand behind him when he comes to make these appointments. You see all of the people there for those appointments that we are expecting him to make in just a few moments.
You see Eric Holder there on the left. We also see Defense Secretary Robert Gates. We see Hillary Clinton there. Also Janet Napolitano and General Jim Jones.
I believe the President-elect is coming to the microphones right now.
So, let's take a moment to go ahead and listen in.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Good morning everybody. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Last week, we announced our economic team which is working as we speak to craft an economic recovery program to create jobs and grow our struggling economy.
Today, Vice President-elect Biden and I are pleased to announce our national security team. The national security challenges we face are just as great and just as urgent as our economic crisis. We are fighting two wars. Our old conflicts remain unresolved. And newly- asserted powers have put strains on the international system.
The spread of nuclear weapons raises the peril that the world's deadliest technologies could fall into dangerous hands. Our dependence on foreign oil empowers authoritarian governments and endangers our planet.
America must also be strong at home to be strong abroad. We need to provide education and opportunity to all our citizens so every American can compete with anyone anywhere. And our economic power must sustain our military strength, our diplomatic leverage, and our global leadership.
The common thread linking these challenges is the fundamental reality that in the 21st century, our destiny is shared with the world's from our markets to our security. From our public health to our climate, we must act with that understanding that now more than ever, we have a stake in what happens across the globe. And as we learn so painfully on 9-11, terror cannot be contained by borders nor safely provided by oceans alone.
Last week, we were reminded of this threat once again when terrorists took the lives of six Americans among nearly 200 victims in Mumbai.
In the world we seek, there is no place for those who kill innocent civilians to advance hateful extremism. This weekend, I told Prime Minister Singh of India that Americans stand with the people of India in this dark time. And I am confident that India's great democracy is more resilient than killers who would tear it down.
OBAMA: And so in this uncertain world, the time has come for a new beginning, a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century and to seize the opportunities embedded in these challenges.
We will strengthen our capacity to defeat our enemies and support our friends. We will renew old alliances and forge new and enduring partnerships. We will show the world once more that America is relentless in the defense of our people, steady in advancing our interests, and committed to the ideals that shine as a beacon to the world. Democracy and justice, opportunity and unyielding hope because American values are America's greatest export to the world.
To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that skillfully using, balances, and integrates all elements of American power, our military, and diplomacy, our intelligence and law enforcement, our economy and the power of our moral example. The team that we've assembled here today is uniquely suited to do just that.
In their past service and plans for the future, these men and women represent all of the those elements of American power and the very best of the American example. They've served in you uniform and as diplomats. They have worked as legislators, law enforcement officials, and executives. They share my pragmatism about the use of power and my sense of purpose about America's role as a leader in the world.
I have known Hillary Clinton as a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel, and a tough campaign opponent. She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and a remarkable work ethic. I am proud that she will be our next secretary of state. She's an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who know many of the world's leaders, who will command respect in every capital, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world.
Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances. There's much to do from preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to Iran and North Korea, to seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, to strengthening international institutions.
I think no doubt that Hillary Clinton is the right person to lead our State Department and to work with me in tackling this ambitious foreign policy agenda.
At a time when we face unprecedented transition amidst two wars, I've asked Secretary Robert Gates to continue as secretary of defense. And I'm pleased that he's accepted. Two years ago, he took over the Pentagon at a difficult time. He restored accountability. He won the confidence of military commanders and the trust of our brave men and women in uniform as well as their families.
He earned the respect of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for his pragmatism and competence. He knows that we need a sustainable national security strategy. And that includes a bipartisan consensus at home.
As I said throughout the campaign, I will be giving Secretary Gates and our military a new mission as soon as I take office -- responsibly ending the war in Iraq through a successful transition to Iraqi control.
We will ensure that we have the strategy and resources to succeed against Al Qaida and the Taliban. As Bob said not too long ago, Afghanistan is where the War on Terror began, and it is where it must end. Going forward, we will continue to make the investments necessary to strengthen our military and increase our ground forces to defeat the threats of the 21st century.
Eric Holder has the talent and commitment to succeed as attorney everyone from his first day on the job, which is even more important in a transition that demands vigilance. He has distinguished himself as a prosecutor, a judge, and a senior official. And he is deeply familiar with the law enforcement challenges we face from terrorism to counterintelligence, from white-collar crime to public corruption.
Eric also has the combination of toughness and independence that we need at the Justice Department. Let me be clear. The attorney general serves the American people. And I have every expectation that Eric will protect our people, uphold the public trust, and adhere to our Constitution.
Janet Napolitano offers of the experience and executive skills we need in the next secretary of homeland security. She has spent her career protecting people as a U.S. attorney, an attorney general, and as the governor of Arizona. She understands the need for a Department of Homeland Security that has the capacity to help prevent terrorist attacks and respond to catastrophe be it manmade or natural.
OBAMA: Janet assumes this critical role having learned the lessons, some of them painful, of the last several years from 9-11 to Katrina. She insists on competence and accountability. She knows firsthand the need to have a partner in Washington that works well with state and local governments.
She understands as well as anyone the danger of an unsecure border. And she will be a leader who can reform a sprawling department while safeguarding our homeland.
Susan Rice will take on the crucial task of serving as permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations. Susan has been a close and trusted adviser. As in previous administrations, the UN ambassador will serve as a member of my Cabinet and in integral member of my team.
Her background as a scholar on the National Security Council and assistant secretary of state will serve our nation well at the United Nations. Susan knows the global challenges we face demand global institutions that work.
She shares my belief that the UN is an indispensable and imperfect forum. She will carry the message that our commitment to multi-lateral action must be coupled with a commitment to reform.
We need the United Nations to be more effective as a venue for collective action against terror and proliferation, climate change and genocide, poverty and disease.
Finally, I am convinced that General James Jones is uniquely suited to be a strong and skilled national security adviser. Generations of Joneses have served heroically on the battlefield from the breech beaches of Tarawa in World War II to Fox Trot Ridge in Vietnam.
Jim's Silver Star is a proud part of that legacy. He will bring to the job the duel experience of serving in uniform and as a diplomat. He has commanded a platoon in battle, served as supreme allied commander in a time of war, and worked on behalf of peace in the Middle East.
Jim is focused on the threats of today and the future. He understands the connection between energy and natural security and has worked on the front lines of global instability from Kosovo to Northern Iraq to Afghanistan.
He will advise me and work effectively to integrate our efforts across the government so that we are effectively using all elements of American power to defeat unconventional threats and promote our values.
I am confident that this team is what we need to make a new beginning for American national security. This morning, we met to discuss the situation in Mumbai and some of the challenges that we face in the months and years ahead. In the coming weeks, I will be in close contact with these advisers who will be working with their counterparts in the Bush administration to make sure that we are ready to hit the ground running on January 20th. Given the range of threats that we face and the vulnerability that can be a part of every presidential transition, I hope that we can proceed swiftly for those natural security officials who demand confirmation.
We move forward with the humility that comes with knowing that there are brave men and women protecting us on our frontlines, diplomats and intelligence officers in dangerous corners of the world, troops serving their second, third, or fourth tours, FBI agents in the field, cops on the beat, prosecutors in our courts, and cargo inspectors at our ports.
These selfless Americans whose name are unknown to most of us, will form the backbone of our effort. If we serve as well as they are serving, we will protect our country and promote our values.
And as we move forward with respect for American's tradition of a bipartisan national security policy and a commitment to national unity, we have to recall that when it comes to keeping our nation and our people safe, we are not Republicans or Democrats. We are Americans. There's no monopoly of power of wisdom in either party.
Together, as one nation, as one people, we can shape our times instead of being shaped by them. Together, we will meet the challenges of the 21st century not with fear but with hope.
Now, before I take questions, I'd like to invite my team to say a few words. And I'm going to start with my dear friend, Hillary Clinton.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Mr. President-elect, thank you for this honor. If confirmed, I will give this assignment, your administration, and our country my all. I also want to thank my fellow New Yorkers who have, for eight years, given me the joy of a job I love with the opportunity to work on issues I care about deeply in a state that I cherish.
And you've also helped prepare me well for this new role. After all, New Yorkers aren't afraid to speak their minds and do so in every language. Leaving the Senate is very difficult for me. But during the last few weeks, I thought often of our troops serving bravely under difficult circumstances in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
I thought of those other Americans in our foreign and civil services working hard to promote and protect our interests around the world. And I thought of the daunting tasks ahead for our country. An economy that is reeling, a climate that is warming. And as we saw with the horrible events in Mumbai, threats that are relentless.
The fate of our nation and the future of our children will be forged in the crucible of these global challenges. America cannot solve these crises without the world, and the world cannot solve them without America. By electing Barack Obama our next president, the American people have demanded not just a new direction at home but a new effort to renew America's standing in the world as a force for positive change. We know our security, our values, and our interests cannot be protected and advanced by force alone nor, indeed, by Americans.
We must pursue vigorous diplomacy using all the tools we can muster to build a future with more partners and fewer adversaries, more opportunities and fewer dangers for all who seek freedom, peace, and prosperity.
America is a place founded on the idea that everyone should have the right to live up to his or her God-given potential. And it is that same ideal that must guide America's purpose in the world today. And while we are determined to defend our freedoms and liberties at all costs, we also reach out to the world again seeking common cause and higher ground.
And so I believe the best way to continue serving my country is to join President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, the leaders here, and the dedicated public servants of the State Department on behalf of our nation at this defining moment. President Kennedy one said that engaging the world to meet the threats we face was the greatest adventure of our century.
Well, Mr. President-elect, I am proud to join you on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century. And may God bless you and all who serve with you and our great country.
ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I am deeply honored that the president-elect has asked me to continue as secretary of defense. Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?
Serving in this position for nearly two years, and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated soldiers, sailor, airmen, Marines, and defense civilians has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country. And I will be honored to serve President-elect Obama.
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: Thank you, President-elect Obama, for the honor that you have bestowed upon me. I look forward to working with you and the members of this national security team assembled here.
The Department of Justice plays a unique role on this team. It is incumbent those of us who lead the department to ensure not only that the nation is safe but also that our laws and traditions are respected. There is not a tangent (ph) between those two. We can and we must ensure that the American people remain secure and that the great constitutional guarantees that define us as a nation are truly valued. For example, working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress, should I be confirmed, we look forward to actually structuring policies that are both protective and consistent with who we are as a nation.
I also look forward to working with the men and women of the Department of Justice to revitalize the department's efforts in those areas where the department that's unique capabilities and responsibilities in keeping our people safe and ensuring fairness and in protecting our environment.
This president-elect and the team you see before you are prepared to meet the challenges that we will confront. From my experience at the Department of Justice, I know that we cannot be successful if we act alone. We must never forget that in many ways those in state and local law enforcement are our first line of detection and protection against those from foreign shores who would do us harm.
We will need to interact with our state and local partners in new innovative ways to help them solve the other issues that they confront on a daily basis. National security concerns are not defined only by the challenges created by terrorists abroad but also by criminals in our midst, whether they be criminals located on the street or in a board room.
We must forge new ties and reestablish old bonds with our state and local partners. There is much that needs to be done in this new century. I am confident that working with our president-elect, the people on this stage and the departments that they represent, those of both parties who I know and respect on Capitol Hill, we can keep our nation safe, strong, and respected.
It is now my pleasure to introduce Janet Napolitano, a great governor and an old friend.
GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO (D), ARIZONA: Thank you, Eric.
President-elect Obama, I am honored by your confidence in me and your support. Your message of change has resonated with the American people as has the clarity and the confidence of our vision of a United States that is safe, secure, and effective in the world and at home.
The team you have assembled faces the challenge of protecting our homeland with constant vigilance and relentless work to prevent terrorist attacks. It also will plan carefully and thorough so that our domestic response to all hazards is fast, sound, levelheaded, and effective. Americans deserve no less.
To achieve this high level of performance, it will be my job and the job of this team to hold ourselves and our agencies accountable, to coordinate fully across the spectrum of government agencies and to ensure that we work hand in hand with state and local governments to share information, secure our borders, and keep our country safe.
We are a nation that will be proud, prepared, and resilient. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. And I would be remiss if I did not also thank the wonderful people of Arizona. Like Hillary, it is difficult to leave one job for another, but one must go where one can best serve.
It's now my privilege to introduce to you the nominee to be it the ambassador of the United Nations, Susan Rice.
SUASN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. NOMINEE: Mr. President- elect, Mr. Vice President-elect, I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve you and our great country as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. I look forward to working with this outstanding bipartisan national security team to implement your visionary agenda, to strengthen our security, and renew American's leadership in the world.
I want to take this opportunity to thank my parents who taught me that no dream is too bold to embrace. My husband and our children, Jake and Maris (ph), for their patience, love, and sacrifice.
With your election, Mr. President-elect, the American people have signaled to the world that our nation is on the path to change. Now, we must fulfill that promise by joining with others to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century to prevent conflict, to promote peace, combat terrorism, present the spread and use of nuclear weapons, tackle climate change, end genocide, fight poverty and disease.
All of these goals are vital to America's security but none can be accomplished by America alone. To enhance our common security, we must invest in our common humanity. And to do so, we need capable partners and far more effective international institutions.
The United Nations was, in major part, America's creation.
Mr. President-elect, I share your commitment to rededicate ourselves to the organization and its mission. If confirmed, as U.N. ambassador, I will work constructively within the organization to help strengthen its capacities and achieve needed reforms.
I can think of no more important time to represent the United States at the United Nations. Mr. President-elect, thank you for the confidence you've placed in me and for the opportunity to serve in this vital mission.
It's now my pleasure to introduce General James Jones.
GEN. JAMES JONES (RET.), U.S. MARINE CORP: Mr. President-elect, Mr. Vice President-elect, members of this tremendous team assembled this morning, I'm deeply humbled to have been asked by the president- elect to serve as national security adviser especially during the challenging times we currently face.
And Mr. President-elect, I deeply appreciate your mentions my family's contribution to our national security since 1939.
As has been previously mentioned, national security in the 21st century comprising a portfolio which includes all elements of our national power and influence working in coordination and harmony towards the desired goal of keeping our nation safe, helping to make our world a better place, and providing opportunity to live in peace and security for the generations to follow.
I am deeply humbled and deeply appreciative of this great opportunity, and I am very proud now to introduce a man who will play a key role in making this come to pass, the vice president-elect, Joe Biden.
SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE), VICE-PRESIDENT ELECT: Well, Mr. President, you've assembled quite a team. And I hope and believe that the American people will come to feel as I do that we brought together one of the most talented national security teams ever assembled. A team prepared to meet the serious challenges we face today and the emerging threats that will confront us tomorrow.
I have worked with and admired each of the members of the team some as far as back in days, Jim, when you were a Marine liaison to the United States Senate. And so we have a -- I have a long relationship, as the president does, and I do with each of these folks.
And each has a clear understanding of the forces that are shaping this new century and the lives of our fellow Americans.
As was mentioned earlier, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the emergence of China, India, Russia, Brazil, and the unifying Europe as major powers, the spread of lethal weapons to dangerous countries as well as dangerous groups, the shortage of -- and scarcity of energy, water, and food, the impact of climate change, economic dislocations, persistent poverty. The technological revolution that sends people, ideas, and money around the planet as ever faster speeds. And, as was already mentioned, as we witnessed again last week with the terrible events in the India, the challenge to democratic nation states from radical ideologies.
That's just a short list of the forces that are shaping the 21st century. And it's been implied by all the comments thus far, no one country can control these forces. But more than any other country in the world, we have the ability to affect them if we use the totality of our strength.
And bringing together Senator Clinton, Secretary Gates, Eric Holder, Governor Napolitano, Susan Rice, and General Jones, the president-elect has assembled a national security team that is poised, in my view, to recapture the totality of America's strength. Each member of this team shares the goals and the principles that the president-elect and I have attempted to advance.
Each member shares our conviction that strength and wisdom must go hand in hand. Each member believes, as we do, that America's security is not a partisan issue. Witness the team. Each member understands that America's military might and economic strength must married to the power of our ideas and our ideals if we are to deal effectively with dealing with the forces of change, some of which I've mentioned, and if we're going keep this country we love so dearly prosperous and free.
These are extraordinary times. That's not in a flight of fancy or exaggeration. These are extraordinary times. We face extraordinary challenges.
But I am, as the president-elect is, optimistic, absolutely optimistic that this team, with the president-elect at our helm, will see to it that America leads not only by the example of our power but by the power of our example.
And now, President-elect Obama is prepared to take your questions. And, again, Mr. President-elect, congratulations on assembling what I believe will be a first-class team to lead us into this century. Thank you.
OBAMA: OK. Let's start with Liz.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)?
OBAMA: Well, first of all, I think it's important to reiterate that our condolences, our thoughts, and our prayers go out to the people of India, the families that have been affected, and, obviously, we're heartbroken by the deaths of the six Americans that were caught up in this tragedy.
I've spoken to Prime Minister Singh and expressed these concerns to him. An investigation is taking place. I was briefed by Secretary Rice throughout the weekend. She's on her way to the region. We've sent FBI to help on the investigation.
And this is one of those time where I have to reiterate there's one president at a time. We're going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next several days and weeks. So I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment.
But what I can say unequivocally is that both myself and the team that stands beside me are absolutely committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism. And that is true wherever it is found. We cannot have -- we cannot tolerate a world in which innocents are being killed by extremists based on twisted ideologies.
And we're going to have to bring the full force of our power, not only military but also diplomatic, economic, and political, to deal with those threats not only to keep America safe but also to ensure that peace and prosperity with exist around the world.
So I will be monitoring the situation closely. Thus far, I think the administration has done what's needed in trying to get the details of the situation. And my expectation is that President Zardari of Pakistan, who has already said that he will fully cooperate with the investigation, will follow through with that commitment. All right. Karen?
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. You've selected a number of high profile people for your national secure team. How can you ensure that the staff that you are assembling is going to be a smoothly- functioning team of rivals and not a clash of rivals?
OBAMA: Well, I think you heard Joe mention the fact that many of the people who are standing beside me are people who have worked together before, who have the utmost respect for each other. These are outstanding public servants and outstanding in their various fields of endeavor.
They would not have agreed to join my administration, and I would not have asked them to be part of this administration unless we shared a core vision of what's needed to keep the American people safe and to assure prosperity here at home and peace abroad.
I think all of us here share the belief that we have to maintain the strongest military on the planet, that we have to support our troops and make sure that they are properly trained, properly equipped, that they are provided with a mission that allows them to succeed. All of us here also agree that the strength of our military has to be combined with the wisdom and force of our diplomacy and that we are going to be committed to rebuilding and strengthening alliances around the world to advance American interests and American security.
And so in discussions with this entire team, what I am excited about is a consensus not only among those of us standing here today, but I think cross a broad section of the American people, that now is the time for us to regain American leadership in all its dimensions. And I am very confident that each of these individuals are not going to be leaving the outstanding work that they are currently doing if they weren't convinced that they could work as an effective team.
One last point I will make. I assembled this team because I'm a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. I think that's how the best decisions are made. One of the dangers in the White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in group think and everybody agrees with everything and there's no discussion and there are no dissenting views. So I'm going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House.
But understand I will be setting policy as president. I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions are made. So as Harry Truman said, the buck will stop with me. And nobody who's standing here, I think, would have agreed to join this administration unless they had confidence that, in fact, that vision was one that would help secure the American people and our interests.
Jake?
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect.
During the campaign, you said that you thought the U.S. had a right to attack high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan if given actionable intelligence with or without the Pakistani government's permission. Two questions on that.
One, do you think India has that same right? And, two, regarding what Karen just said, some people up there on the stage took issue with your saying that. They have strong opinions about issues ranging from Pakistan to the surge. And while they're all committed to have a successful United States, what private assurances have they given you that they will be able to carry out your vision even when they strongly disagree with that vision as some of them have been able to do in the past?
Thank you, sir.
OBAMA: I think that sovereign nations, obviously, have a right to protect themselves. Beyond that, I don't want to comment on the specific situation that's taking place in South Asia right now. I think it is important for us to let the investigators do their jobs and make a determination in terms of who was responsible for carrying out these heinous acts.
I can tell you that my administration will remain steadfast in support of India's efforts to catch the perpetrators of this terrible act and bring them to justice. And I expect that the world community will feel the same way.
Now, in terms of my team and carrying out my vision and my policies, as I've said, during campaigns or during the course of election season, differences get magnified. I did not ask for assurances from these individuals that they would agree with me at all times. I think they understand and would not be joining this team unless they understood and were prepared to carry out the decisions that have been made by me after full discussion.
And, you know, most of the people who are standing here are people who I've worked with, and on the broad core vision of where America needs to go, we are in almost complete agreement. There are going to be differences in tactics and different assessments and judgments made. That's what I expect. That's what I welcome. That's why I asked them to join the team.
Peter Baker?
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect.
You've talked about the importance just now of having different voices and robust debate within your administration. But, again, going back to the campaign, you were asked and talked about the qualifications of the -- your now, your nominee for secretary of state. And you belittled her travels around the word, equating it to having teas with foreign leaders. And your new White House council said that her resume was grossly exaggerated when it came to foreign policy.
I'm wondering whether you can talk about the evolution of your views of her credentials since the spring.
OBAMA: Well, I mean, I think -- this is fun for the press to try to stir up whatever quotes were generated during the course of the campaign. No, I understand. And you're having fun. But the -- and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not -- I'm not faulting it. But, look, I think if you look at the statements that Hillary Clinton and I have made outside of the heat of a campaign, we share a view that America has to be safe and secure. And in order to do that...
OBAMA: ... the statements that Hillary Clinton and I have made outside of the heat of a campaign, we share a view that America has to be safe and secure. And in order to do that we have to combine military power with strength and diplomacy. And we have to build and forge stronger alliances around the world so that we're not carrying the burdens and these challenges by ourselves.
I believe that there is no more effective advocate than Hillary Clinton for that well-rounded view of how we advance American interests. She has served on the Armed Services Committee in the Senate. She's knows world leaders around the world. I have it extensive discussions with her both pre-election and post-election about the strategic opportunities that exist out there to strengthen American's posture in the world.
And I think she is going to be an outstanding secretary of state. And if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have offered her the job. And if she didn't believe that I was equipped to lead this nation in such a difficult time, she would not have accepted.
John McCormack. Where's John?
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect.
You're known as a pretty good storyteller. Can you tell us a little bit of a story about how Senator Clinton was selected for this job? Was there a seminal moment? How was the offered extended? Can you give us some detail on how it was accepted and kind of the negotiation process that was involved here?
And, also, does Secretary Gates meet the requirement for a Republican on the Cabinet, or should we be looking for others as well?
OBAMA: Well, I mean, I didn't -- I didn't -- I didn't check his voter registration. Secretary Gates, meets the qualification of being an outstanding current secretary of defense and somebody who is doing everything he can every single day to make sure that our troops are properly equipped and trained and organized in order to succeed at their missions and that their families are cared for.
So I have complete confidence in Secretary Gates being able to carry out his tasks. And I think the point here is that I didn't going around checking people's political registration. What I was most concerned with was whether or not they can serve the interests of the American people.
With respect to Senator and soon-to-be, Secretary of State Clinton, it was not a light bulb moment. I have always admired Senator Clinton. We have worked together extensively in the Senate. I have always believed that she is tough and smart and disciplined and that she shares my core values and the core values of the American people.
And so I was always interested after the primary was over in finding ways in which we could collaborate. After the election was over and I began to think about my team, it occurred to me that she could potentially be an outstanding secretary of state. I extended her the offer and she accepted.
I know that's not as juicy a story as you were hoping for, but that's all you're going to get, John. Thanks.
Where's Dean? There you are. Hey, Dean.
QUESTION: Sir, do you still intend to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq in 16 months after inauguration? And did you discuss that -- the possibility of that -- with Secretary Gates, before selecting him?
OBAMA: Well, keep in mind what I said during the campaign. And you were there most of the time.
I said that I would remove our combat troops from Iraq in 16 months with the understanding that it might be necessary, likely to be necessary, to maintain a residual force to provide potential training, logistical support to protect our civilians in Iraq.
The SOFA that has been now passed by the Iraqi legislature points us in the right direction. It indicates we are now on a glide path to reduce our forces in Iraq. I will be meeting be not only Secretary Gates but the joint chiefs of staff and commanders on the ground to make a determination as to how we move that pace -- how we proceed in that withdrawal process.
I believe that 16 months is the right timeframe. But as I have said consistently, I will listen to the recommendations of my commanders. And my number one priority is making sure that our troops remain safe in this transition phase and that the Iraqi people are well served by a government that is taking on increased responsibility for its own security.
It is a sovereign nation. What this signals is a transition period in which our mission will be changing. We will have to remain vigilant in making sure that any terrorist elements that remain in Iraq do not become strengthened as a consequence of our drawdown. But it's also critical that we recognize that the situation in Afghanistan has been worsening. The situation in South Asia, as a whole, and the safe havens for terrorist that have been established there represent the single most important threat against the American people.
And we're going to have to mobilize our resources and focus on attention on defeating Al Qaeda, bin Laden, and any other extremist groups that intend to target American citizens.
Thank you very much, everybody.
